


Here’s The Story…

by ericsonclan



Series: The Everett Bunch [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Brady Bunch, F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27338929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Lee and Carley set up a dinner for their kids to meet.
Relationships: Carley/Lee Everett
Series: The Everett Bunch [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988578
Kudos: 7





	Here’s The Story…

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

Lee felt his nerves rise with each passing second. His feet paced back and forth as he waited for the roast to finish in the oven. Turning on the oven light he leaned forward to watch the meat sizzling away in the oven.  _ It sure is taking its sweet time. _ Lee turned off the oven light again. He would just have to be patient. But he couldn’t help it. He wanted it to be perfect. It  _ needed _ to be perfect. 

Today was the day that his sons would meet Carley along with her three daughters. He knew that they were less than excited about it. After all, it had always just been the four of them so even the idea of change made them nervous. Not to mention that it wasn’t just one new person but four. Lee looked up at the clock and felt his heart tighten; he didn’t realize that it was that late already. He really needed to start getting ready.

“This is so fucking stupid,” Mitch grumbled while he threw on one of his nicer shirts. It was only to appease his dad and stop Aasim from bothering him about how they should wear nice clothes for a good first impression. 

“Come on, Mitch, I’m sure they’re going to be nice,” Marlon fidgeted with one of the buttons on his shirt, clearly nervous about meeting them.

“I just can’t believe we had to clean the whole house for one dinner,” Mitch slammed his dresser shut and fell back onto his bed. “The house wasn’t even that messy.”

“Oh yeah, because I’m sure they would love to step over your dirty socks and Marlon’s crushed soda cans,” Aasim looked towards his eldest brother who let out an annoyed groan and rolled over on his bed. 

“Shut up, they could just deal with it. It’s not like we’ll see them again.” Mitch’s voice sounded muffled against his bed. 

“I don’t know, dad seems pretty serious about her,” Marlon walked over, picking up a basketball. “I think that this could be more than just a one time meeting.”

“Doubt it,” Mitch looked up at his younger brother and the basketball in his hands. A small smile appeared on his face. “Wanna shoot some hoops before dinner?”

Marlon’s eyes brightened at the suggestion. “Yeah!” He turned towards the youngest of the three who was busy putting a belt on. “How about it, Aasim? You game?”

Aasim looked up from his task before shaking his head. “No, I’m going to check with dad to see if he needs any help. He looked like he was really panicking in the kitchen earlier.”

Mitch scoffed, putting on his sneakers before opening the bedroom door. “Whatever, suit yourself. Let’s go, Marlon.”

“Right.”

Aasim watched as his two older brothers ran outside before he finished buckling his belt. Just when he had finished he heard his father’s voice call out from the kitchen.

“Hey, could one of you boys watch the roast for a minute?” Lee’s voice sounded really tense. Aasim took a deep breath. This was going to be a long dinner.

\----

“So? Are you excited?” Renata kicked her legs playfully while she lay on her bed, a huge grin on her face. 

“I don’t know,” Clementine whispered from the top of the bunk bed. “Mom seems really nervous about making sure that this dinner goes well. I’m not sure about it… she said that he had three sons, right? Do you think they’re going to be nice?”

“Of course! I mean I hope so,” Renata turned her body so she could look up at her younger sister. “Worse case we just have an awkward dinner but great food and a few laughs.”

“You’re not planning to pull any pranks, right?” Prisha looked down at her sister with her hands on her hips. “We promised Mom we would be on our best behavior.”

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see,” Renata looked at her older sister with a playful wink.

“Don’t,” Prisha warned before she started playing with her braid. Her hands had been fidgeting with it constantly throughout the day.

“It’s going to be okay, Prisha,” Clementine’s arms dangled from the bunk bed as she looked at her sister with a reassuring smile. Prisha looked at her sister and gave a shaky breath. 

“I know, it’s just…” Prisha paused. She didn’t want to finish the sentence. 

Renata and Clementine looked at each other; they knew what their older sister was going to say. It had always just been the four of them through thick and thin. So what had changed that made their mom not feel like it was enough anymore? They could tell that it had been weighing heavily on Prisha’s mind over the last few days ever since their mom had brought up the dinner. 

Suddenly the oven’s timer went off, causing Renata to jump off of her bed and scurry down the hallway. “The pie!” Renata’s cheery voice echoed through the house. She quickly grabbed two oven mitts and proceeded to open the oven door, causing her face to get overwhelmed by the heat from it. Carefully she obtained the pie. The boysenberries’ juices seeped from inside, covering the crust with the dark purple. 

“That looks great!” 

Renata looked back to see her mom standing in the entranceway with a proud smile. 

“Thanks! I think it’s some of the best work yet!” Renata smiled back at Carley who walked forward and placed a kiss on the top of Renata’s head.

“I’m sure everyone will love it,” Carley focused back on the task that she had been working on, slowly putting on a pair of earrings.

“How are your sisters doing? Are they almost ready?”

“Yep! We’re all good to go!” Renata’s bright smile seemed to comfort her mom as her shoulders relaxed slightly. 

“That’s good. I’m going to double check that I have everything. Can you let your sisters know that we’re leaving?”

Renata nodded before wrapping the pie in some tinfoil so it stayed warm and placing it in a heat-proof bag. “Prisha! Clem! It’s time to go!” she called out to them, cupping her hands around her mouth. 

The bedroom door opened with the sound of frantic footsteps. Prisha and Clementine appeared in the kitchen to help get the dessert in the car and make sure they were ready. Carley got in the driver’s seat and looked back at her three daughters who sat in the back of the car. 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll love them.” Carley looked back at her three daughters with a warm smile. They all still looked really nervous, except for Renata who seemed even more bubbly than usual. With that Carley started the car and the four of them were off to dinner.

\----

Lee paced back and forth again. He couldn’t help it. This was a big deal. His eyes looked back at the dining room table that was placed with eight plates. He’d had to go out and buy some more silverware and such just for this occasion.  _ It looks good, right? _ Lee looked back at his three sons who were sitting on the couch. Mitch and Marlon both had huge pit stains from playing basketball outside. He knew they were nervous about meeting the new people, but now they were super sweaty and there was no time to change. 

“They’re here,” Marlon motioned towards the front where they could see the four of them making their way up to the front door. Lee ran over with an excited albeit nervous smile as he opened the door, not giving Carley time to ring the doorbell. 

“Hi there, find the place okay?” Lee leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Carley’s lips.

“Hi, Lee! Yeah, thanks for sending the directions,” Carley replied, walking through with her daughters when Lee moved back from the door. The three girls shuffled inside. Mitch looked up from the couch to see what they looked like.

On the left was the tallest of the three girls, an Indian girl with a long black braid which she seemed to be focusing all her attention on. She looked to be maybe a year older at most from Mitch. In the middle was a Hispanic girl with her hair pulled together in a messy bun on the side of her head. She was easily the happiest of all the kids to be here. Her dark brown eyes seemed to dance with excitement while a bright smile pulled on her lips. Lastly the girl on the right had golden brown eyes that seemed to be searching the room, her brown curly hair swaying when she shifted the weight on her legs. 

“Oh! Let me introduce you to my sons!” Lee’s voice caused Mitch to turn his attention towards his dad who seemed super happy about this whole dinner. “This is my oldest son who’s twelve. His name is Mitch,” Mitch gave a half-committed nod before looking away. “Then there in the middle is Marlon,” Marlon gave a small wave then looked away; he was getting overwhelmed by everything. “Then lastly this is Aasim, my youngest,” Aasim looked up and gave a small smile. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Carley gave a soft smile over in their direction. “I’ve heard so much about you from your father,” The three boys’ eyes widened at that statement. Each of them looked at each other. This really was a serious relationship then. Their dad had dated before, but it never seemed to get this far. 

“These are my three daughters,” Carley walked over to stand by them. “Prisha is my oldest, she’s thirteen,” She gave Prisha a quick side hug. Prisha mustered up a smile, looking up at her mom before looking over at the three boys. “Then there is my middle daughter, Renata,” Renata flashed a huge grin and waved over at the others. “Then Clementine.” Clementine gave a small nod.

“Hello,” Clementine whispered then moved closer towards Renata. 

“I’m glad I’m finally able to meet you. I’ve heard so many good things about you three.” 

Prisha’s eyes moved up to look at Lee. It almost seemed like she was searching his face to see if he was being sincere, while Renata and Clementine seemed happier at his statement. 

“Carley, if you could help me in the kitchen. Dinner is going to be ready soon,” Lee shared a look with Carley who seemed to immediately get the idea. 

“Of course, I can take the pie, Prisha,” Carley’s voice was soft and comforting, but Prisha still seemed nervous about giving her mom the pie and letting her leave. 

“OK,” Prisha whispered, letting go of the pie and watching as her mom disappeared into the kitchen with Lee.

The room was instantly filled with an awkward tension. Both sides seemed unwilling to make the first move for small talk. Renata was the first to speak.

“Where’s your bathroom?” 

The three boys looked surprised by her question before Marlon got up. 

“It’s just past the dining room. I can show you if you like?” Marlon moved forward, stopping in front of the three girls.

“Thanks!” Renata skipped forward, turning back to give her sisters a thumbs up and a mischievous smile on her face. She then looked back at Marlon. Prisha and Clementine shared a worried look, both because now it was just the two of them and Renata was clearly up to something.

“So, your name’s Marlon?” Renata asked, striding forward while Marlon awkwardly walked beside her.

“That’s right, and your name’s Renata?”

“Yep! I like your hair, you look like a cool rat!” Renata’s statement was meant to be a compliment, but it seemed to hurt Marlon’s feelings. 

“Oh, umm, thanks,” He stopped in his tracks, gesturing towards the door. “Here it is,”

“Thanks,” Renata slipped into the bathroom.

\----

Prisha looked over at the two boys that were left. This was so awkward.

“So,” Aasim’s voice drew her attention. “Got any favorite subjects in school?” He was trying his best to start up some sort of small talk because his brother seemed unwilling to. 

“I like history,” Clementine’s quiet voice seemed unusually loud thanks to the awkward silence. Aasim’s eyes seemed to light up at her statement. “I do too!” Aasim jumped up to his feet, excited to find another history lover. “I think it’s super cool!”

Mitch laughed at his excitement. “It’s not as cool as science. You don’t get to blow shit up in history class.”

“You shouldn’t be able to in science class either,” Prisha stated simply, which made Mitch’s frown deepen. 

“Whatever,” he huffed in annoyance.

“What about you?” Aasim looked at Prisha.

Prisha thought about the question for a minute. “I don’t know. I don’t think I really have one.”

“Prisha’s super smart,” Clementine added proudly. “She gets straight A’s all the time.” Clementine’s expression changed when she saw Aasim look upset by the statement.

“I get straight A’s too,” Aasim crossed his arms, staring at Prisha with judgement which she quickly returned. It almost felt like neither of them could accept that the other Indian kid was also smart. Prisha always had been really proud of her intelligence, but it seemed like she was holding it up even higher than usual. Clementine looked at the pair with concern when Marlon returned. 

“I’m back,” he awkwardly announced, proceeding to sit back down on the couch. He looked over at Mitch who seemed pissed then at Aasim who was staring daggers at Prisha. Just what the hell had happened in the five minutes he was gone? Clearing his throat, he tried to divert the negative emotions with another ice breaker. “So…. do you like sports?”

“No,” Prisha stated before looking back at Aasim. 

“I do,” Clementine’s smile grew. “I really like soccer!”

“Oh, that’s cool!” Marlon shifted in his spot. “I really like basketball! We even have a basketball hoop!”

Clementine seemed excited by the news which made Marlon happy. Suddenly Renata appeared back by her sisters’ side. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Lee called out from the kitchen. The kids looked at each other before walking over to the dinner table.

“Renata, you didn’t do anything, did you?” Prisha looked over at her sister who gave a playful smile. “Because if you did, mom will get upset. You promised to be on your best behavior.”

Renata’s eyes suddenly widened before she ran forward. Mitch and Aasim had already taken their spots on the right side of the table and Lee and Carley had placed down the food and were sitting at the heads of the table. Marlon was about to sit down when Renata barreled past him and took his seat.

“Renata, what-” Carley’s sentence was cut off when Renata had sat down and a loud fart emitted from her seat. 

“Oops, guess I’m just nervous,” Renata gave a sheepish smile to her mom while Prisha shook her head in disapproval. Prisha took her seat across from Aasim while Clem sat across from Mitch, leaving Marlon who awkwardly made his way over and sat in between the two of them. The dinner table was quiet for the first few minutes as everyone was served some roast and potatoes.

“I hope it’s alright,” Lee placed another cut of meat on a plate before handing it off to be passed down. 

“It looks amazing,” Carley looked over at Lee with a loving smile. The kids remained quiet at that. “So, Mitch, tell me a bit about yourself.” 

Mitch looked up with his mouth full of food at Carley’s voice. He chewed for a bit before swallowing. For some reason he felt on edge about her question. It felt like it was some sort of test. Mitch looked over at the girls who were watching him. Renata’s gaze seemed to be burning a hole into him.  _ I’ll show them _ .

“I’m super strong. Check it!” He grabbed a nearby spoon with a smirk. Holding onto the two sides, he proceeded to try and bend it. Mitch grunted while he struggled against the spoon.  _ What the fuck is up with this spoon?!?  _ Mitch tried for a few seconds before snatching one of the candles instead which he easily broke. “Boom! Triceps!” He tossed forward the candle and leaned back in his chair. 

“Good one, Mitch,” Lee said with a chuckle before clearing his throat. “Clem, what about you? Any interests?”

Clementine glanced up from her plate. Shifting around in her seat, she placed down her fork.

“I umm… like collecting animal skulls.” 

Mitch’s eyes widened at that, a smile appearing on his face. “That’s so badass!” 

Clementine looked up at him, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thanks,”

“I baked the pie!” Renata butted in. “I’m a baker!” Her voice cracked near the end of her declaration. 

“Oh, wow!” Lee flashed a warm smile. “I’m sure it’s going to be delicious. I’ve never been much of a baker myself. You gotta give me some tips.”

Renata’s eyes practically sparkled with happiness. 

Carley shared a smile with Lee before she noticed that Prisha was barely eating; instead her focus seemed to be shifting between studying Aasim and Lee. “Prisha?” Carley’s voice snapped Prisha out her thoughts. “Why don’t you share a bit about yourself.”

Prisha looked towards her mom. Why was she so insistent? Why were both her and Lee like this? She looked over at Lee. What made him so special? Her eyes traveled back to Aasim.

“I’m the top of my class,” Prisha said with a level of pride in her voice, glaring back at Aasim.

“That’s ama-”

“Funny, I’m the top of my class too. Isn’t that right, Dad?” Aasim looked over at Lee who looked utterly confused by this fight that seemed to have broken out between his son and Prisha while he was in the kitchen.

“Umm…” Lee scratched the back of his head. “That is true.’

Aasim’s bright smile seemed to tick Prisha off more. 

“I don’t know if this is as cool as baking or collecting skulls or being smart, but I play the guitar,” Marlon looked over at Carley who seemed genuinely surprised and impressed by that. Marlon looked away with a small smile. 

“That’s really cool, Marlon. Maybe after dinner you can play something for us,” Carley leaned forward with a kind smile. Marlon looked shocked by the suggestion. He had thought that she wouldn’t care. 

“Okay,” Marlon responded before chugging the rest of his drink. 

The dinner continued on much the same. Carley and Lee continued to try and learn more about the other’s kids. Each time that they shared it seemed like their fondness for the children grew even when they were being a bit much. The kids all seemed to still be on edge about the whole thing, but slowly they calmed down a bit, each of them getting invested in some of the similar hobbies or traits of the other kids. The conversations continued into dessert that was interrupted here and there with compliments on the pie which Renata ate up, her ego growing with each comment. 

Soon dessert had been demolished and the table became quiet again. Lee looked over at Carley, a silent conversation playing out between them. Even with all the bumps along tonight’s meal, they still felt like it was the right time to bring it up. Lee cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention to him. 

“So, first of all I just want to thank you three for coming over and spending some time here. I loved hearing from all of you,” he smiled at the girls before continuing. “Me and your mom wanted to have this dinner so that everyone got to meet each other, but it was also for another reason.” 

All the kids’ faces scrunched up in confusion at his statement. 

“You see, umm…” Lee tried to figure out the right words.

“Lee and I are engaged,” Carley finished her fiance’s sentence. Lee gave an appreciative smile over towards her which she returned. The smiles quickly disappeared when a glass hit the floor. Prisha’s hand hovered in the air, a look of utter disbelief on her face. Lee and Carley looked around at the other kids who all seemed to hold the same expression. All of them remained silent, unable to believe the news.


End file.
